Light Up is an intimate documentary that focuses on the lives of five people in Atlanta—four Black gay men and one Black transgender woman. It’s a really personal look at their backstories and how they’ve dealt with prejudice and mental health struggles because they felt they had to hide who they truly were. The big thing they all share is that every person interviewed has found a way to push through those hard times. Now, they're all at a place where they feel totally comfortable being themselves and speaking their truth. The five people sharing their journeys are Simone Tisci, Derek Jae, Octavius Terry, Obio Jones, and Benjamin Carlton. Derek Jae is already pretty well-known from reality TV, while Simone Tisci is a successful makeup artist who is now working on breaking into acting. Then there’s Octavius Terry, who used to be a record-breaking track and field star. He actually cut his athletic career short because he was so scared his coaches and teammates would find out he was ...
This is one of those movies where it is a little hard to decide whether I liked the movie or not. There were parts which were good but then again there were sections which were totally avoidable and had nothing to do with the film.Ming is a young boy who works in a sales store. Soon he meets Yan and an affair starts between them. When Ming's mother confronts him of his sexuality, he leaves home and rents an aptt with someone. He also loses his job. His roommate takes him to parties where once an older man makes him an offer for sex for money. Since he is short for money he accepts it. Slowly he gets deeper into the world of prostitution and drugs. Ming is leading this double life and Yan finds about it only when he is hospitalized once. Following a police raid Ming is sent to a rehabilitation center where he meets Kueng. He has been there a while and helps Ming live through the rehabilitation period. When Keung is leaving the center he invites Ming to visit him. Keung has no idea about Ming's sexuality. When Ming visits Keung, he starts living with him and his girlfriend Jackie. They all 3 work in the hair saloon. Slowly Jackie warms up to Ming and one day when they are drunk they get physical. Jackie then dumps Keung and he goes back to drugs. Ming wants to take care of Keung now like he did for him.
That Ming's problems don't stem from his homosexuality is a breath of fresh air. Ming's issues are not with being gay, but with intimacy and trust. Performance wise Keung has an edge over Ming. Yan and Jackie were just side kicks.
Just an alright movie for me personally. (3.5/10)
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